Fire-place heater



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

A. E. LYTLE.

FIRE PLACE HEATER.

No. 425,103. Patented Apr. 8. 1890.

imi lmaoom (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. A. E. LYTLE.

FIRE PLACE HEATER.

No. 425,103; Patented Apr. 8, 1890.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT E. LYTLE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

FIRE-PLACE HEATER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 425,103, dated April 8, 1890.

Application filed December 14, 1889. Serial No. 333,838. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALBERT E. LYTLE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Heating Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a heating apparatus which is especially designed to be used in ordinary fireplaces; and it consists in certain peculiarities of the construction and arrangement of the different parts of the same, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth and specifically claimed.

The objects of my invention are, first, to economize in the consumption of fuel; second, to increase the heating capacity of a fireplace, and, third, to furnish heat for a number of rooms from the same fire or grate.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to which my invention pertains to make and use the same, I will now proceed to describe it, referring to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a front View, in elevation, of a grate or fire-place with my heater in position. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the same taken on line a: a; of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view of the corrugated back, taken. on line y y of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of my heater with one of the side or jamb pieces removed. Fig. 5 is a detail view of a portion of the grate; and Fi 6 is a sectionalplan view of the heater taken on line a: a: of Fig. 4.

Similar letters refer to corresponding parts throughout the different views of the draw- 'ings.

A represents an ordinary mantel or front piece of a fire-place.

B B are the walls of the chimney.

O is the smoke-flue.

D is the hot-air pipe or flue, which may extend upward within the smoke-flue to any desired point.

a is a pipe which is connected to the. hotair flue and through which the superheated air is allowed to escape into the room. (1 is the grate-basket, f an ash-tray, and g the hearrhstone or floor.

E is the corrugated back and E are corrugated side pieces which form the jamb of the fire-place. At the lower portion of the back E and on the surface adjacent to the fire is provided a number (usually two) of passages Z) Z), through which cold air is admitted to the hollow chamber of the back E and there heated, as will be presently explained. Each of the side pieces E E is formed at its lower outer portion with an opening 0 for the reception of cold air.

Fig. 4 of the drawings illustrate my heater with one of the side pieces removed, and shows preferred form of construction. The back and side pieces are made of any suitable material and of the proper dimensions to fit snugly the fire-place for which the heater is intended. The back E is a thin hollow shell, and has its front or surface adjacent to the fire formed with a number of vertical corrugations or depressions c, and corresponding alternate projections 0'. These depressions and project-ions or corrugations extend from about the point of the lower portion of the back where the rear of the grate-basket connects therewith to the top of the back and are formed near the top with an outward curve or bend g, as is clearly shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings. On each side of the back is formed one or more openings h, through which the air from the side pieces escapes into the hollow chamber of the back. In the top of the back, and at the rear portion thereof, is provided an opening t, to which is connected the hot-air fine or pipe D. As will be clearly seen in Figs. 2, 4., and 6 of the drawings, the passages or cold-air entrances Z) Z) are formed of box shape, and project outwardly under the grate-basket and fender, and are provided at their free ends with a hinged door K. The object in having these entrances project and provided with doors, as above described, is to prevent ashes and dust falling from the grate being drawn into the entrance, as is readily understood. The side pieces E are also formed hollow and with vertical corrugations or depressions c and projections c on the surface adjacent to the fire similar to those described in the back, with. the exception that they do not have the inward curve 9, but are straight, so that the piece will rest against and may be firmly secured to the side of the back, as shown in Fi 4".-

Near the backside of the side pieces, and on the same surface with the corrugations thereon, is provided openings h, (not shown in the drawings,) similar to and at the proper location to be in alignment with those in the side of the back, thus permitting the hot air to escape from the chamber of the side piece to the chamber of the back.

In Fig. 2 I have showna damper m, having a rod or handle 71 attached thereto for operating the same. This damper is formed with a slight downward curve adapted to lit the upper portion of the bend g and lies horizontally on the flat top of the back when not in use, and when in use is pulled forward by means of the handle a and rests on the projections e, as shown in Fig. 2. It will be readily understood that by pulling the damper forward the blaze and heat of the fire in the grate will be impeded to a great extent and that the temperature of the air in the chambers of the back and side pieces of the heater will thereby be raised to a corresponding degree, the smoke from the lire being permitted to escape over the damper, as indicated by the arrow.

At the rear of the fireplace I sometimes provide an opening 0, which may extend to the outside of the chimney and enable me to obtain cold air from outdoor.

In Fig. 5 I have shown portions of the gratebasket (I and the adjustable frame R for holding the basket. On account of the difference in the depths of fire-places it becomes necessary to employ a frame which may be adjusted to suit. As shown in the figure, the horizontal bar 8 is made in two pieces, each of which is slotted longitudinally, as at r, and having in said slot a securing pin or pins r, thus allowing the frame to be lengthened or shortened, as desired. ()n the top of the bar 3, near the rear end thereof, may be secured a suflicient number of transverse bars 6 as is required to fill the space between the rear of the basket and the front of the heater.

It is evident that I may sometimes dispense with the side pieces E and use the back only, in which case the openings 7b in the side of the back are not required. It is also apparent that I may use any numbcrot' hot-air vents or out-lets in a nu mberof rooms and that they may be located at any height on the wall. It will be seen and understood that the projections e are hollow, and that as constructed the heat and flame of the fire will almost entirely encircle the projection and heat the air contained in the hollow thereof on three sides at once, thus causing the superheated air to rise rapidly and be followed by fresh cold air taken in through the passages Z1 and openings c and o.

The operation of my device is as follows:

The side pieces are secured to the back by ordinary screw-bolts or otherwise and the entire heater fitted in the fire-place. The hotair flue D is then adjusted to 'the opening 'i I and extended up the smoke-flue to any desired extent. At suitable points the flue D is tapped and the hot-air vents or exit-pipes are connected and open into the room. The grate is then put in position and the heater isrcadyfor use. The doors 7e are then opened, and as the fire in the grate burns, the air in the chambers of the heater becomes hot and ascends and escapes into the room through the pipes a, as is apparent. The escaping heat may be controlled by closing the doors of the cold-air inlets, or by closing the hot-air vents by means of suitable dampers, or by opening the damper on and allowing the heat and flame to escape through the smoke-flue.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a fireplace heater, the combination of a hollow back having vertical depressions and projections and openings for the reception of cold air and an opening for the escapement of hot air, and openings h, with the hollow side pieces E, having vertical depressions and projections and openings 0 and 71, the llue I), and outlet-pipes a, all constructed, arranged, and operating substantially as set forth.

2. In a fire-place heater, the combination of a hollow back having vertical depressions c and projections c, passages I), and openings 71. and i, the passages 12 having hinged doors K, with the hollow side pieces E, having vertical depressions e and projections c, and openings 0 and 71., the flue D, the outlet'pipes a, and damper 7, having handle a, all constructed, arranged, and operating substantially as shown and described, and forthe purpose set forth.

In a lire-place heater, the combination of a hollow back having vertical depressions c and projections e, passages I) and openings h and 2', the passages I) adapted to extend under the grate, and having doors K, with the hollow side pieces E, having vertical depressions c, and projections c, and open ingsc and h, the flue I), the outlet-pipes a, and the damper m, having handle '72., all constructed, arranged, and operating substantially as shown and described,and for the purpose set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my seal at Chicago, Illinois.

CHAs. C. TILLMAN, A. (.1. ()VERALL. 

